Bullysticks are now bad? :(

[Nancy1999]

The article didn't say anything that I wasn't aware of, Joey and Ralphie both eat bully sticks, and I supervise them. I agree with those of you who say it’s not a snack, it’s a chewing aid, if your dog is eating a bully stick in one day it’s too soft, look for some with moisture content around 13%. Mine don’t even eat an inch a day, and they chew vigorously on them every night.

The group sampled 26 bully sticks purchased from retailers in the United States and Canada and made by different manufacturers. They found one tainted with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness. Another had traces of methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus, or MRSA, and another had an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli.
The number of treats sampled was small and not all of these bacterial strains have been shown to infect humans. However, the researchers advise all pet owners to wash their hands after touching such treats.
The team advised dog owners to observe the same sanitary practices they would with raw meat when handling bully sticks. Dog owners should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and warm water after touching the treats and children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems should avoid handling them.

Out of 26 different kinds, only three had problems? I think that's great! Personally I wouldn't buy most kinds, I think some are made too cheaply, but according to this, most a whooping 97%, are safe. I think the article is very misleading in saying that people weren’t aware bullysticks were so high in fat, "The researchers received over 852 responses which revealed many dog owners were not aware of what the treats are made from and that it is so high in fat". The kind we use have 1% fat, this is not considered high, even lettuce has SOME fat. High in calories does not mean high in fat, the calories are coming from protein! Basically, the article is lousy science, I'd love to know who's behind it.

Everything we do has some risks, and I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone at Yorkietalk with my food choices. While there is a risk of every chewing stick causing a throat obstruction and they must ALL be used under supervision, bully sticks WILL NOT cause an intestinal obstruction because they are 100 percent digestible, and that’s what’s important to me. I throw them out when they are 3-4 inches long, and I hold them while they are chewing them. My babies really enjoy their chew time, and I don’t think it’s necessary to take this away from them. For those of you worried about bacteria, you can microwave them, which dries them out even more. I microwave just the tip in an inch of water for about 30 seconds, because Joey makes me!

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

The article didn't say anything that I wasn't aware of, Joey and Ralphie both eat bully sticks, and I supervise them. I agree with those of you who say it’s not a snack, it’s a chewing aid, if your dog is eating a bully stick in one day it’s too soft, look for some with moisture content around 13%. Mine don’t even eat an inch a day, and they chew vigorously on them every night.



Out of 26 different kinds, only three had problems? I think that's great! Personally I wouldn't buy most kinds, I think some are made too cheaply, but according to this, most a whooping 97%, are safe. I think the article is very misleading in saying that people weren’t aware bullysticks were so high in fat, "The researchers received over 852 responses which revealed many dog owners were not aware of what the treats are made from and that it is so high in fat". The kind we use have 1% fat, this is not considered high, even lettuce has SOME fat. High in calories does not mean high in fat, the calories are coming from protein! Basically, the article is lousy science, I'd love to know who's behind it.

Everything we do has some risks, and I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone at Yorkietalk with my food choices. While there is a risk of every chewing stick causing a throat obstruction and they must ALL be used under supervision, bully sticks WILL NOT cause an intestinal obstruction because they are 100 percent digestible, and that’s what’s important to me. I throw them out when they are 3-4 inches long, and I hold them while they are chewing them. My babies really enjoy their chew time, and I don’t think it’s necessary to take this away from them. For those of you worried about bacteria, you can microwave them, which dries them out even more. I microwave just the tip in an inch of water for about 30 seconds, because Joey makes me!

What do you mean by microwaving the tip in water. Is this just to soften it up a little or Joey just likes it warm and yummy? I wonder because sometimes things are too hard to get 'started'. I know this sounds gross. Libby and Rico both get a chew. Libby waits until Rico gets it soft then steals it from him or cries right next to him until he walks away, giving it to her. Little smartie pants!

[Gracye]

Noooo! Max loves these I guess that accounts for all the weight he's been gaining lately though I will have to take these way from him and find another stick treat for him to chew on.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by butterfly

What do you mean by microwaving the tip in water. Is this just to soften it up a little or Joey just likes it warm and yummy? I wonder because sometimes things are too hard to get 'started'. I know this sounds gross. Libby and Rico both get a chew. Libby waits until Rico gets it soft then steals it from him or cries right next to him until he walks away, giving it to her. Little smartie pants!

Yes, it's so dry here, the tips get so hard that they seem pointy at times. I did it once and that was enough to train Joey, he'll throw it at me until I microwave it. It's also the way I got my Ralphie to try them, this brings out the fabulous "aroma" Like I said I just do the very tip, I boil less than an inch of water for 30 seconds then add the sticks and do another 30 seconds. Mine will chew theirs for about 15 minutes or so, and both of them want to switch, they never fight about it, they just each want the other's stick. Lol, Libby is the smart one!

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Gracye

Noooo! Max loves these I guess that accounts for all the weight he's been gaining lately though I will have to take these way from him and find another stick treat for him to chew on.

Your not going to find anything safer then bully sticks in my opinion.

[Gracye]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

Your not going to find anything safer then bully sticks in my opinion.

Yes I think I'll just limit his bully bones to 1 per week

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Gracye

Yes I think I'll just limit his bully bones to 1 per week

What type do you buy? Do you know the moisture content?

[Gracye]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

What type do you buy? Do you know the moisture content?

I'm actually not sure, I'm at work right now LOL. I'll have to check when I get home. I get them from Bosley's pet store and I know a lot of people in my puppy socialization class buy them as well. Haven't heard any bad things about them from people there.

Max doesn't seem to want to drink huge amounts of water after chewing on it though?

[chachi]

Any chew has to be given with supervision. I would rather give a bully stick that is digestable and easy to chew than some of these chews that could break a tooth

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Gracye

I'm actually not sure, I'm at work right now LOL. I'll have to check when I get home. I get them from Bosley's pet store and I know a lot of people in my puppy socialization class buy them as well. Haven't heard any bad things about them from people there.

Max doesn't seem to want to drink huge amounts of water after chewing on it though?

How much does Max eat a day, more than an inch?

[Gracye]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

How much does Max eat a day, more than an inch?

I think he does do more than an inch. He's a huge chewer and he never liked his kongs so to keep him from chewing on my wooden steps he has the bullies.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Gracye

I think he does do more than an inch. He's a huge chewer and he never liked his kongs so to keep him from chewing on my wooden steps he has the bullies.

Yeah, Joey has never liked the kongs either. Bullys are a lot safer and less expensive than steps!

[Gracye]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Yeah, Joey has never liked the kongs either. Bullys are a lot safer and less expensive than steps!

LOL yes they are!!! He used to only go through 1 a month and now he's chewing them up faster. I really need to limit his time with them I think. I might try the kongs again!!

[Deb1]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

The article didn't say anything that I wasn't aware of, Joey and Ralphie both eat bully sticks, and I supervise them. I agree with those of you who say it’s not a snack, it’s a chewing aid, if your dog is eating a bully stick in one day it’s too soft, look for some with moisture content around 13%. Mine don’t even eat an inch a day, and they chew vigorously on them every night.



Out of 26 different kinds, only three had problems? I think that's great! Personally I wouldn't buy most kinds, I think some are made too cheaply, but according to this, most a whooping 97%, are safe. I think the article is very misleading in saying that people weren’t aware bullysticks were so high in fat, "The researchers received over 852 responses which revealed many dog owners were not aware of what the treats are made from and that it is so high in fat". The kind we use have 1% fat, this is not considered high, even lettuce has SOME fat. High in calories does not mean high in fat, the calories are coming from protein! Basically, the article is lousy science, I'd love to know who's behind it.

Everything we do has some risks, and I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone at Yorkietalk with my food choices. While there is a risk of every chewing stick causing a throat obstruction and they must ALL be used under supervision, bully sticks WILL NOT cause an intestinal obstruction because they are 100 percent digestible, and that’s what’s important to me. I throw them out when they are 3-4 inches long, and I hold them while they are chewing them. My babies really enjoy their chew time, and I don’t think it’s necessary to take this away from them. For those of you worried about bacteria, you can microwave them, which dries them out even more. I microwave just the tip in an inch of water for about 30 seconds, because Joey makes me!

Nancy, I buy RedBarn Bully sticks with the moisture content of 15 percent, 1 percent fat content. I also "hold" their sticks while if is being chewed on my lap! I do not fear that she will choke on it. She does not chew much of it off but I do give it to her a couple time a day. Do you know if this is one of the safer brands of bully sticks? I am so paranoid of giving her anything that might make her ill. I lost my first yorkie to illness!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Deb1

Nancy, I buy RedBarn Bully sticks with the moisture content of 15 percent, 1 percent fat content. I also "hold" their sticks while if is being chewed on my lap! I do not fear that she will choke on it. She does not chew much of it off but I do give it to her a couple time a day. Do you know if this is one of the safer brands of bully sticks? I am so paranoid of giving her anything that might make her ill. I lost my first yorkie to illness!

I've never tried that particular brand, others here have said it smells to high heaven, but some complain about Merricks smell as well.I imagine the dogs love the odor though. I wrote to the Merrick company and asked if they ever had any recalls on their bully sticks. They said they have never had any recalls on their bully sticks, although other products they sell have had recalls. I feel safer with the bigger companies and products made in the USA because if there is a problem we will hear about it faster. As I said earlier, I would think microwaving the whole stick for a minute would kill any bacteria and help dry it out more. Of course, the microwave won't help if something else is causing the problem which has been the case with many of the products made in China. A brief search of google showed no recalls of the Red Barn brand either, you might want to do a more through search. Of course a recall in itself, isn't horrible, you do want to know why it was recalled and if the fixed the problem.